From leading her own design firm to spearheading real-life renovations showcased on the small screen, Sarah Richardson has countless creative projects to her credit. With her new TV series, she's adding house-hunting and property purchases.

On Real Potential, airing on HGTV Canada, Richardson helps prospective buyers scout out a trio of homes. Once they've settled on a stumbling block for each, she encourages them to "see past the ugly" as they overhaul the disaster room in the new dwelling.

Richardson said they "cast the net pretty wide" with the 14 homes featured in the debut season. Working mostly with first-time homebuyers, rooms were renovated in properties spanning from several decades to more than a century old, from split-level bungalows to Victorian homes. In two back-to-back episodes, Richardson meets Ayesha and Michael, a couple on a fruitless threeyear search to find a home. Michael is keen on finding a house with character that the pair can put their stamp on, while Ayesha envisions a move-in ready property.

Richardson said the "opposites attract" dynamic is a familiar scenario when it comes to the house hunt.

"I find that usually in a couple, somebody is more keen to take on more debt and more challenge and a bigger project," the affable home expert and host said in an interview at her design firm. "Somebody is more eager about renovation and change and chaos, and the other person is usually more reserved, more pulled back, can't see it, want to be able to walk in, experience it, done. Turn the key and say: 'This is home.' "The show creates a very interesting portrayal of how two sides of any relationship come together."

Well before purchase time, Richardson said would-be buyers should determine if it's in good overall shape before giving thought to sprucing up the interior. "You don't want the house that has the bad eavestroughs, the leaky roofs, the problem with the foundation, the wet basement, all the doors and windows are falling apart.

"You're fixing the overall structure of the house and that takes a huge amount of money. That will run you dry before you even have a time to look at a swatch of fabric or a paint colour."

While some may prefer to buy a turnkey ready home, Richardson said the more that's paid upfront for the property, the less left in the budget for renovations, decor or other expenses.

"I would say to you, you would be better off to buy the house that needs the renovation, get the kitchen you really want, do it yourself. It's a bit of sweat equity ... but you'll end up being invested for less and get more of what you want."

And it's important to embrace and set a budget. "If all you have in total is $20,000, then I think you should try and do a $14,000 renovation, because something is always going to come up," said Richardson.

"There will always be unexpected costs, and there's something that you haven't thought about. So you're better to think: 'This is the highest I can go,' come down a little bit, and hopefully, you end up in a realm that you can feel comfortable in."